Windows Phone operating system will get new features that will elate its enterprise users. The update will add security options like signed and encrypted Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) and the automatic trigger of the virtual private network client if there is an access to the enterprise resource. This was announced by Microsoft Corporate Vice President Joe Belfiore at the news conference of the Mobile Congress.

The change is usually an upgrade from Windows Phone 7 to Windows 8 where devices are upgraded to 7.5 but not the recent 8.0 version.

Microsoft will support screen buttons with 8.1 alongside new hardware support for 400 LTE, Snapdragon 20 and 400 chipsets. This will allow phonemakers to create a cheaper device to tap more market while manufacturers can reuse the Android handsets that they already have. The spring update has a support for applications saved on microSD cards. This allows makers to ship the units with a 4 GB storage and 512 MB memory.

These updates were first mentioned by Microsoft in the middle of 2013. Thus, they have been coming a long time and another thing not known yet is when these will be available to the users. Balfiore pointed out all devices of Windows Phone 8 will be available for update, although OS updates are usually deployed by carriers so there is no need to reach all users simultaneously.

They will come as Windows Phone sees success in Europe and some developing markets. The OS has 10 percent market share in Europe, an estimate stated. Nokia's 520 handset was UK's third best-selling phone in December, ahead of all Android phones.

Nokia has also surpassed BlackBerry in the global arena and become a top three player. Gartner figures revealed its share in the global market is an estimated 3.2 percent in 2013, ranking well behind the top second platform iOS, which is at 15.6 percent.